Improvement in hanging and latching farm-gates



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA KINMAN, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HANGING AND LATCHING FARM-GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 47,429, dated April 25, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, IRA KINMAN, of Freeport, county of Stevenson, and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Hanging and Latching of Farm- Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be an exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in adjustable hinges operating on rings on the back post, and the construction, arrangement, and combination of an upright bolt with movable latch, movable prop, and its staple.

Figure 1 represents a view of the gate with its hinges and latch; Fig. 2, the top hinge; Fig. 3, the lower hinge. Fig. 4 shows the position of the roller of the lower hinge as operating on the adjustable ring on the back post; Fig. 5, the bolt with its lower end forked; Fig. 6, the shape of the adjustable latch, having two shoulders or notches behind and grooved or forked in front. Fig. 7 shows the bolt, latch, prop, and staple, and their positions and attachments on the end of the gate and on the front post.

A is the upright bolt. It has two slots, and slides up and down on the front end of the gate. Its lower end is forked. It is raised and lowered by a handle at top, and when raised it disconnects itself from the latch B. The latch B is attached to the center of the front part of the gate. It is movable and self-adjusting. It is a horizontal, eccentricshaped plate, forked or grooved in front and notched behind, and operates on a pivot, 0, between two permanent jaws, D D.

When the gate is open, the bolt A rests upon one side of the latch B, holding the latch until the gate is closed, when the bolt drops behind the notches of the latch and the forked ends of the bolt fall behind the notches or shoulders of the latch. The forked ends or groove of the latch clasp and fit over the staple E on the post, and the latch rests upon a self-acting prop, G, that prevents the gate from sagging in front.

The prop G worksupon a pivot, and adjusts itself back or forward to suit the opening and closing of the gate that opens and closes both ways.

Upon the back post, on which the gate is hung, there are two rings, H and I, the lower one, I, having a collar, upon which the lower hinge, K, of the gate rests and swings to either side. This lower hinge, K, is also circular, and has a friction-roller, L, that oper ates against the ring I on the post, so that the gate is made to move easily and withou any strain. i

The ring I fits loosely on the post, (which is round,) and is adjustable so as to be moved.

up or down when required to hang the gate higher or lower by means of a strong pin, M, that fits into apertures through the post, the ring I having a slot, N, that rests upon the pin M, so as to' prevent the ring from turning around when the gate is hung at its required height.

The top ring, H, on the post is also a loose ring or band, to which is hooked a clevis-' hinge, P. This hinge is adjustable and tightened by wedge-shaped keys It R, that hold the hinge to its place when the hinge is set according to the proper position of the gate, and the hinge keeps the front part of the gate from sagging or hearing down on the latch B.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The arrangement and combination of the adjustable hinges P and K, operating on the rings H and I on the back post, as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The construction and combination of the upright bolt A with the movable latch B, as operating on the staple E and movable prop G, as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.

3. The construction and combination of the self-acting prop G and staple E, as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.

- IRA KINMAN.

Witnesses J. FRANKLIN REIGART, JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD. 

